Pope Leo calls on Cameroonians to reject violence as 120,000 join Mass

Pope Leo XIV has addressed a massive crowd in Cameroon, using one of the biggest stages of his Africa tour to preach a message of justice and nonviolence.

Addressing about 120,000 faithful in Douala, the Roman Catholic leader called on the city’s youth to reject violence and corruption to pursue the common good.

His homily in English and French said: “Do not give in to distrust and discouragement. Reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart”.

“Do not forget that your people are even richer than this land, for your treasure lies in your values: faith, family, hospitality and work,” he added.

Security was tight for Friday Mass. Cameroonians started ‌filing into the Japorma stadium the day before, staying overnight to see the pontiff in person.

“It was difficult – the cold, the mosquitoes and everything,” ‌Kevin Kaegam told the Reuters news agency. “But since we want to see the supreme pontiff, we had no choice”.

Pope Leo was later due to visit a Catholic hospital in the city, before heading to the capital, Yaounde, to meet students at the Catholic University of Central Africa.

His stop in Douala, Cameroon’s largest city and economic hub, follows a visit yesterday to the western city of Bamenda. It is the epicentre of a nearly decade-long English-speaking separatist insurgency that has killed thousands. There, he appealed for peace and criticised those “who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain”.

Cameroon is the second stop of the four-country African tour. It started in Algeria and includes Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

In a new, forceful speaking ⁠style, Pope Leo has condemned violations of international law by “neocolonial” world powers and said “the whims of the rich ⁠and powerful” threaten peace.

His comments critical of the war in Iran have angered US President Donald Trump, who called the first US-born pontiff “weak” and “terrible for foreign policy”.

Pope Leo responded that he has “no fear of the Trump administration”.

With a population 30 percent Catholic, Cameroon faces a series of social and security crises, including the Anglophone conflict and the fallout from deadly post-election protests last year.

Crowds have been enthusiastic, lining the streets and wearing colourful fabrics featuring images of his face.

Cameroonian Bishop Leopold Bayemi Matjei called Leo’s visit “a moment of great joy” ‌and said he hoped it meant God would bless Cameroon.

“Our country needs a lot of blessing, a powerful blessing, so that hope will come to ‌rise ‌again,” said the bishop, who leads the church in Obala, north of Yaounde.